Video of Cop Goes Viral; Internal Investigation Underway

A video of a police officer lying on the ground and apparently under the influence has gone viral on Facebook. 28-year-old, police constable 1319 Florencio Rash is in trouble tonight after a video surface of him lying on the ground near the Belmopan bus terminal. He was in his uniform and appears to be under the influence. The first video we received is forty seconds long and there is no telling how long he was on the ground along with his hat and handcuffs. The second video we received shows an officer trying to help PC Rash by calling in a police mobile to take him away. Rash takes a couple of minutes before getting into the police mobile. The video has caught the attention of the most senior of the Belize Police Department. ACP Chester Williams has indicated that the Commissioner of Police, Allen Whylie, has given the directive to investigate the matter fully. According to Williams, if the officer is found to be in breach of the department’s policies, he will be disciplined accordingly. Whylie has also warned that quote ‘police officers must respect their uniform at all time and are expected to display the highest level of professionalism especially when in uniform and in public so as not to cause any unnecessary negative attention to the department.” End of quote. PC Rash is attached to Precinct One.